The Ones We Love Never Leave
by thenoblehouseofblack
Summary: After Sirius goes through the veil, he gets to see James and Lily again. And nothing could make him happier. Rated M for language.


**Disclaimer: If you wish you owned it, I do too.**

Sirius Black did not know where he was. He could not remember how he got here. He could not even see what was around him. All his saw was the white mist. All he saw was the abyss that awaited him. He felt strangely at peace, and while he knew it was a new feeling, he could not remember a time when he didn't feel this. He felt complete, as if a piece of him had returned to him. It was very odd indeed.

"We've been waiting for you," a vaguely familiar voice called to him. He could not remember where he had heard that voice, but oh the feelings it stirred in him. He felt such joy at hearing it, such completion. And yet, he could not remember where he had heard it before.

"Hello Sirius," another familiar voice called to him, this one distinctly female. "We've waited a long time."

Two figures came to him, and he could only stare. The man had brown hair and hazel eyes covered by round glasses. His hair was unkempt and a huge smile on his face. The woman had red hair contrasting her deep green eyes. Where had he seen them before? He knew he had. He knew he knew them, but from where?

_James. _That was his name, he knew now. And Lily. Slowly, things came back to him, image after image of a school and four boys. He saw four animals running around a small village. _Hogsmeade_. He saw a small house and a small boy on a broom. _Harry_. He saw a green light, and a large archway. And suddenly, he remembered.

"I died," he said quietly. "Bellatrix, she killed me."

"Yes," said James.

"Harry!" he exclaimed, suddenly remembering the boy he had left behind. The same small boy with the broom, but only, not so small now. "Your son! He's back there still. I left him."

"He will be okay," said Lily sadly.

"Are you sure?" asked Sirius, slightly mollified.

James and Lily exchanged a look. "No."

"I can't just leave him," said Sirius in misery. "What's he to do now? Both his parents gone, and now his godfather?"

"You haven't left him, Padfoot," said James quietly. "None of us have. The ones we love never leave us, after all."

"Merlin, Prongs, you don't actually believe that shite, do you? We've left him, and with who? Moony? What's he going to do, bore him to death with a lesson on some book?"

James laughed at that and Lily rolled her eyes. Even now, in death, they were exactly the same. "Well, he _is_ more like his mother in that respect," said James

"Thankfully," added Lily.

"What is this place?" asked Sirius, looking around.

"You tell us, it's your shebang," James shrugged.

"All I can see is fog."

"Really? Well clearly you haven't gotten brighter since we died," James rolled his eyes. "Guess Azkaban really messed you up, eh, Padfoot?"

Sirius winced, looking around again. Suddenly, the fog started to disappear, and he saw where in fact he was. He would know this place anywhere. He had spent twelve years here. He had been held on the edge of insanity here. It was his cell in Azkaban. Of all places, it seemed fitting his death would lead him here. "Azkaban, of course. Listen, I'm so sorry, mate, I really am. It's all my fault you died. I was the prat who suggested making that little shite your Secret Keeper instead."

James smiled sadly. "It wasn't your fault, Padoot. None of us knew Peter would betray us."

"And we agreed with you wholeheartedly to make the change," added Lily.

"Still, you'll never know how sorry I am," Sirius hung his head. He had let down his best friend. He had gotten him killed. Though it had not been he himself who had betrayed them to Voldemort, he was just as responsible. He had made Peter their Secret Keeper. He had unknowingly handed Voldemort the keys to finding James and Lily.

"I wondered why we were in Azkaban," said James softly. "Padfoot, you need to stop punishing yourself. It was not your fault. It was Voldemort, not you. We're at peace, mate. Let it go."

"But Harry-."

"Is not alone," finished Lily. "We told you already, Sirius. The ones we love never leave us. We have not, nor will we ever, leave Harry. We've just – watched over him in another way."

"But don't you wish you could have been there for him physically?" said Sirius gloomily.

"Of course," said James. "We wish we could have watched him grow up, and watched him receive his first Hogwarts letter. We wish we could have bid him farewell on Platform 9 ¾. We wish we could have listened to his earnest stories about his adventures at Hogwarts. We wish we could have been there for his first girlfriend and his first kiss – well not _there_, but you know, _heard_ about it later from him. And let's be honest, he's my son, I know he has to be an excellent kisser. It's in his genes." He smirked slightly.

Sirius snorted. "Is being a git in the genes too?"

"No, those are only in yours, mate. It's a Black thing."

"Oh yeah? And what's the Potter thing? Being an ugly piece of-."

Lily rolled her eyes, and cut him off. "Honestly, boys, must you be so immature?"

James and Sirius looked at each other, grinning madly. After so long, they were together again, friends, best mates, brothers. Their bond was one that could not be destroyed by anything, not even death. That anyone believed that Sirius Black would betray James Potter was utterly ridiculous to them. They were more or less the same person, after all. "Yes," they spoke at the same time.

Lily shook her head. "Listen, Sirius, _of course_ we would have wanted to be there for him in the physical way. He's our son after all. But we couldn't be (and not by any fault of yours might I add). Still, we gave him what protection we could. He has the power of my blood, and though that vile _snake_ can touch him now, he will still be safe because of it. I may dislike Petunia on several accounts, but I will forever be indebted to her for taking him in, even in the shitty condition she did. She made our sacrifice mean something, with the help of Dumbledore of course. And Harry lived. He grew up. He went to Hogwarts. He made his friends, and had his adventures. And we were right here, with him, watching the entire time."

"Like I will be now?" asked Sirius.

"If you want," shrugged James.

There was no question about it. Sirius Black would happily watch over Harry till the end of time, especially if it meant he could be with his best friend again. Another thought occurred to him though. "Bad luck for Moony again. He thought he was alone for twelve years, and now, after he found out he wasn't, he is all over again."

"Remus will join us when his time is right," said James grimly.

"And what is there to do around here?" asked Sirius. "And are we ghosts, or have we not gone on or what? And I mean, do we just walk around and follow Harry around? Or is there a bar or something we can go to when he's sleeping? And what if he's with a girl – doing the dirty. I mean, we don't have to watch _that_, do we?"

James grimaced while Lily rolled her eyes. "Honestly, will you _ever_ mature, or are you going to be a git for all of eternity?"

"I'm gonna go for git," James piped up.

"Wanker."

"Moron."

"Prat."

"Boys!" Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Honestly, I do not know why I put up with you."

"Because we're adorable?" said James innocently.

"And charming."

"And hilarious."

"And ruggedly handsome."

"And because I have no choice," Lily rolled her eyes. "Now, to answer your questions, Sirius. We're dead, we don't drink. No, we are not ghosts. We're dead, this is the '_on'_. And _no_, we will definitely _not_ be watching Harry do anything of the sort."

"Thank Merlin," said Sirius as he threw an arm around each of their shoulders. "I love you both and all, but even I wouldn't have stuck around with you if you wanted to see that. Now, Prongs, my good man, why don't we go see if we can change that whole no drinking thing?"

* * *

**I know, a bit weird. But after I wrote the Remus and Sirius reconciling scene, I was thinking to myself, what would have made Sirius's death complete for him? And I believe that the only way he would have been at peace was if he got to see James again. And after all, when Harry was killed, he got to speak to Dumbledore, so why couldn't Sirius speak to James and Lily? This is just my take on what happened after he went through the veil. Please review and let me know what you think!**


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